Container treatment machine

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a revolving treatment machine for treating containers, comprising a rotor element which can be driven to revolve about a vertical machine axis and which is used as a container support or forms a container support. The treatment machine further comprises a support element for at least one functional element of the machine which interacts with the containers, said support element being drivable as to revolve about the vertical machine axis.

The invention relates to a rotary container treatment machine according to preamble patent claim 1.

Containers in the sense of the invention are containers or container-like packaging means of all kinds of the type used for packing products, e.g. beverages, foods, cosmetics, drugs etc. Containers in the sense of the present invention therefore particularly include bottles, cans or other bottle-like or can-like containers made from very diverse materials, e.g. metal, glass or plastic, for example PET.

Container treatment machines and those of a rotary design are particularly also known as labelling machines of very diverse construction. Known rotary container treatment machines comprise inter alia a carrousel or rotor which can be driven to rotate about a vertical machine axis and which on at least one (first) rotor element forms a plurality of container supports, for example in the form of container plates, which can e.g. be rotated or swivelled in a controlled manner.

Such container treatment machines also comprise at least one further (second) rotor element permanently connected to the first rotor element, and a plurality of functional elements e.g. in the form of clamping and/or centering elements and each allocated to one container support, whereby the said elements can be moved, e.g. through a predefined vertical lift, in a controlled manner by for example a lifting cam on a section of a machine frame that does not rotate with the rotor (support element as lifting cam support), i.e. they are movable up and down parallel to the machine axis.

When the container treatment machine is embodied as a labelling machine, the containers to be treated, i.e. labelled, are fed sequentially via a container inlet to the treatment stations or treatment positions each configured on the rotor by a container support and a centering element, whereby the centering element concerned is lowered by the lifting cam in a controlled way onto the top or head of a container at the moment when the container is transferred to a treatment position, such that for the treatment, the container is centered with its vertical container axis relative to the container support or the latter's axis and held clamped between the container support and the centering element. The containers are treated during the rotary motion of the rotor in the angular range between the container inlet and the container outlet at which the containers are removed from the treatment position concerned after the centering element concerned is raised by the lifting cam.

One of the disadvantages of known rotary container treatment machines is that the at least one lifting cam support which has at least one lifting cam must be mounted with a bearing—for example with a plain bearing—on the rotor that can be driven to rotate about the machine axis, and that at least one torque arm is required which connects the lifting cam support to a part of the machine frame that does not rotate with the rotor, so preventing the lifting cam support rotating together with the rotationally driven rotor.

A further disadvantage of known rotary container treatment machines is that bearing elements or support elements that are arranged within the circular trajectory of the container supports or treatment positions and which serve to accommodate functional elements not rotating with the rotor, for example to accommodate pressing elements or brushes for pressing or brushing labels onto the containers during labelling, to accommodate printers or print heads for printing the containers, cameras, sensors, lighting devices etc., must also be mounted with bearings on the rotor and be connected by torque arms to the machine frame that does not rotate with the rotor to stop them from rotating together with the rotor. Such torque arms are then provided in the angular range of the rotational motion of the rotor between the container outlet and the container inlet, in which (angular range) there are, during normal trouble-free operation at any rate, no containers present at the treatment positions.

The known rotary treatment machines require a considerable engineering effort, with the structural conditions also being extremely adverse. Although the mounting on the rotating rotor of the support elements that do not rotate with the rotor, and the use of torque arms, prevents the support element concerned, e.g. lifting cam support and support element for the other functional elements, from rotating with the rotor, the mounting of said elements on the rotor causes permanent vibrations, an undesirable heat input through friction, and not inconsiderable fouling of the treatment machine by escaping lubricants.

The object of the invention is to provide a container treatment machine which avoids the aforesaid disadvantages and in which at least one support element not rotating with the rotor is realised without the need for one or more torque arms.

A container treatment machine according to patent claim 1 is configured to resolve this object.

The particularity of the invention is that the at least one first rotor element which forms the container support or which is realised with a plurality of container supports that are rotatable or pivotable preferably in a controlled manner, and the at least one further support element, are mounted so as to be able to rotate about the machine axis and independently of one another and are driven by the driving means. According to a first aspect of the invention, this drive is effected by driving means in such a way that the at least one support element rotates synchronously and in the same direction with the at least one rotor element, so forming a further rotor element which rotates with the rotor and on which there are provided, for example, functional elements, for example centering elements, acting together with the containers and moved together with the rotor.

According to a second aspect of the invention the drive is effected by driving means in such a way that the at least one support element is driven synchronously with the at least one rotor element or with the rotor but contrary to the direction of rotation of the rotor, so that the support element is stationary relative to the rotating rotor and the support element forms a support on which functional elements not rotating with the rotor and preferably interacting with the containers, such as for example pressing elements and/or brushes, printers, sensors, cameras, in particular also for inspecting and/or aligning the containers etc., can be arranged.

In the first case, the support element forming a further rotor element and the first rotor element are preferably each mounted rotatably on a machine frame, both rotor elements each with at least one independent bearing. In the second case the support element is mounted on the rotor so that it can rotate about the machine axis.

Further embodiments, advantages and possible applications of the invention arise out of the following description of embodiments and out of the figures. All of the described and/or pictorially represented attributes, whether alone or in any desired combination, are fundamentally the subject matter of the invention independently of their synopsis in the claims or their cross-references. The content of the claims is also made an integral part of the description.

The invention is further explained hereinbelow by references to the figures which each show a rotary container treatment machine in simplified schematic representation and vertical cross-section.

In FIG. 1, 1 is a rotary container or bottle treatment machine for treating containers in the form of bottles 2, for example for labelling and/or printing bottles 2. Container treatment machine 1 comprises inter alia a machine frame 3 with a central pillar 4 disposed on the same axis as a vertical machine axis MA, and a rotor driven circumferentially about machine axis MA while treating bottles 2, which in the illustrated embodiment consists of a lower annular rotor element 5 and an upper rotor element or support element 6. Rotor element 5 and support element 6 are disposed with their axes on the same axis as machine axis MA. Rotor element 5 is provided on its upper side with a plurality of bottle plates 7 which as container supports each form a base for the bottles 2, are distributed at even angular distances about machine axis MA and are preferably rotatable or pivotable in a controlled manner about their axes FA parallel to machine axis MA. Rotor element 5 is mounted by means of a bearing schematically indicated by 8 in FIG. 1 and which is formed for example by a ball-bearing slewing ring, on to lower section 3.1 of machine frame 3 so as to be able to rotate about axis MA.

A drive schematically indicated by 9 in FIG. 1 which interacts with a pinion 9.1 with gearing on the inside of rotor element 5, serves to drive this rotor element about axis MA. At the top of pillar 4 is an element 11 (lifting cam support) of machine frame 3, said element 11 standing radially away from this pillar 4 and being provided at its outer end with a control or lifting cam 10. On lifting cam support 11, upper support element 6 is mounted by means of a bearing 12 so as to rotate about axis MA; bearing 12 may again be a ball-bearing slewing ring for example. Drive 13 that is shown schematically in FIG. 1 and is provided on machine frame 3 serves to drive support element 6 about machine axis MA. Drives 9 and 13 are for example single drives which, when container treatment machine 1 is in operation, permit a synchronous and co-directional rotation, i.e. a rotation synchronised in both speed and angle, of rotor element 5 and support element 6, for example drives with controllable electrical synchronous or stepper motors. It is however also basically possible for drives 9 and 13 to display a common drive motor which is then connected to rotor element 5 and support element 6 via appropriate transmissions for driving purposes.

A plurality of centering elements 14 with centering tulips 14.1 are provided in upper support element 6 distributed at equal angular intervals about machine axis MA in such a way that each centering element 14 is above one bottle plate 7 and is positioned with its axis on the same axis as axis FA of the bottle plate 7 concerned such that a bottle plate 7 and a centering element 14 each form one treatment position on the circumference of rotor 5/6 that can be driven to rotate about machine axis MA. Each centering tulip 14.1 is held at the lower end of a centering tulip rod 14.2 that is arranged with its axis parallel to machine axis MA and mounted in support element 6 so as to be axially displaceable controlled by a control roller 16 which engages in lifting cam 10 and is provided on centering tulip rod 14.2, as indicated by the double-ended arrow A in FIG. 1.

On machine frame 3 there are further provided functional elements that do not rotate with rotor 5/6, for example, when container treatment machine 1 is configured as a labelling machine, inter alia the brush holder or brush channel holder 17 schematically indicated in FIG. 1, and the brushes thereon provided but not illustrated in FIG. 1, with which the label transferred by a labelling unit of treatment machine 1 to a bottle 2 is affixed or brushed on to that bottle in the manner known to a person skilled in the art.

One particularity of container treatment machine 1 is that all functional elements of the container treatment machine not rotating or turning with rotor 5/6, in particular lifting cam support 11 and other functional elements such as brush holder or brush channel holder 17, are provided directly on machine frame 3. The torque absorbers or torque arms that are usually necessary with container treatment machines, including in particular labelling machines, to prevent such functional elements rotating with rotor 5/6 and which normally entail substantial constructional complexity, are avoided. A further particularity is that, by configuring the lower rotor element 5 which forms the base (bottle plate) for the containers or bottles 2 as a ring, the space within the rotor element is kept free to accommodate other functional elements that do not rotate with rotor 5/6, i.e. inter alia to accommodate brush holders or brush channel holders 17.

FIG. 2 shows as a further embodiment a container treatment machine 1 a whose only essential difference from container treatment machine 1 is that instead of the single pillar 4, machine frame 3 a has a plurality of pillars 18 which are arranged with their axes parallel to machine axis MA and are provided for example distributed at equal angular distances about machine axis MA and each at the same radial distance from machine axis MA. At the upper ends of pillars 18 is attached lifting cam support 11 which again exhibits lifting cam 10 at its outer end and projects radially over the pillar arrangement formed by pillars 18. Otherwise container treatment machine 1 a is the same as container treatment machine 1, in particular also in relation to the mounting and drive of rotor element 5 and of support element 6 by way of bearings 8 and 12 and drives 9 and 13.

The use of a plurality of pillars 18, which can also be disposed further away from machine axis MA, creates a cage-like structure of greater strength and rigidity for machine frame 3, in particular also for the arrangement of lifting cam support 11 which carries lifting cam 10.

FIG. 3 shows as a further embodiment a container treatment machine 1 b whose only essential difference from container treatment machine 1 is that instead of the disc-shaped upper support element 6 an annular upper support element 19 lying on the same axis as machine axis MA is provided which is part of rotor 5/19 and on which centering elements 14 are provided that can be axially displaced controlled by lifting cam 10. On the upper side of lifting cam support 11 facing away from pillar 4, support element 19 is mounted with bearing 12 so as to be able to rotate about machine axis MA. Rotor element 19 is again driven by drive 13 which in this embodiment interacts with a pinion 13.1 with gearing on the inside of annular rotor element 19.

FIG. 4 shows a container treatment machine 1 c whose only essential difference from container treatment machine 1 is that drive 9 is provided commonly for rotor element 5 and support element 6. To this end, support element 6 is connected for drive purposes with rotor element 5 by way of a shaft 20 that is mounted on machine frame 3 so as to be able to rotate and with its axis oriented parallel to machine axis MA. On shaft 20 which is offset radially outward from machine axis MA beyond rotor element 5 and support element 6 are provided two gearwheels 21 and 22, of which gearwheel 21 engages in an external gearing of rotor element 5 and gearwheel 22 engages in an outer gearing of support element 6.

With this embodiment it is also possible in principle to effect the drive of rotor element 5 and of support element 6 via shaft 20 or via a drive or motor driving via said shaft 20, in which case drive 9 would be superfluous.

FIG. 5 shows as a further embodiment a container treatment machine 1 d, whose only essential difference from container treatment machine 1 is that the controlled upward and downward motion of centering element 14 is effected not by a lifting cam but instead by a motorised actuating element 23 which is provided on the annular support element 19 for each centering tulip 14.1 separately, and which for the upward and downward motion of the associated centering tulip 14.1 is controlled by a control device as a function of the rotational position of rotor 5/19 formed by rotor element 5 and support element 19. For this purpose each actuating element 23 has for example a pneumatically or hydraulically or electrically operable actuator, e.g. at least one corresponding hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder or an electromotive or electromagnetic drive etc.

Through the elimination of lifting cam 10 and control rollers 16 which interact with it, the disc-like or spoked-wheel-like bearing element 11 a at the upper end of pillar 4 serves solely to support and carry upper support element 19 with bearing 12. Unlike the representation of FIG. 3, with container treatment machine 1 d, drive 13 for upper support element 19 is provided on machine frame 3 in such a way that pinion 13.1 interacts with gearing on the outside of annular rotor element 19. Otherwise the container treatment machine is the same as 1 b.

FIG. 6 shows as a further embodiment a container treatment machine 1 e, whose only essential difference from container treatment machine ld is that a common drive 24 is provided for rotor elements 5 and support element 19, which said common drive 24 drives both rotor elements 5 and 19 synchronously and in the same direction by shaft 20 and gearwheels 21 and 22 provided on it.

FIG. 7 shows as a further embodiment a container treatment machine 1 f, which is again configured as a rotary treatment machine, in this case with rotor 27 that is mounted on a machine frame 25 by a bearing 26 so it is able to rotate about vertical machine axis MA. Rotor 27 constitutes inter alia a lower rotor element 27.1 (turntable) which at its circumference region exhibits bottle plates 7, an upper rotor element 27.2 on which are displaceably guided the centering tulips 14 each allotted to one bottle plate 7 and hence to a treatment position 15 and their rods for a controlled up and down motion, as well as a pillar-like rotor element 27.3 which connects interspaced rotor elements 27.1 and 27.2 and which is disposed on the same axis as machine axis MA. Drive 28 serves to drive rotor 27 about machine axis MA.

A lifting cam support 30 which at its end exhibits lifting cam 10 that interacts with control rollers 16 of centering elements 14, is mounted on rotor element 27.2 by means of at least one bearing 29. To prevent lifting cam support 30 rotating with rotor 27, cam support 30 is connected to machine frame 25 by at least one torque arm 31, as indicated by broken line 32 in FIG. 7.

In regard to the embodiment of rotor 27, lifting cam support 30 and its connection to machine frame 25 by at least one torque arm 31, container treatment machine if corresponds to conventional treatment machines. However the particularity of container treatment machine if is that, within the trajectory of bottle plate 7 or of bottles 2 positioned thereon, a support element 34 is mounted on pillar-like rotor element 27.3 by way of a bearing 33 so as to be able to rotate about machine axis MA. In an illustrated embodiment, support element 34 is annular in configuration and disposed on the same axis as machine axis MA.

Support element 34 can be driven by a drive 35 about machine axis MA synchronously with the rotational motion of rotor 27, i.e. at the same angular speed as rotor 27, but in the opposite direction of rotation, such that support element 34 is stationary, i.e. does not rotate when rotor 27 rotates. For this purpose drives 28 and 35 have correspondingly controllable drive motors (synchronous or stepper motors), or instead of two separate drives 28 and 35, a common drive with a gearing arrangement that produces the synchronous and contra-rotational motion of support element 34 is provided. As a carrier, support element 34 allows the arrangement of functional elements within the circular trajectory on which bottle plates 7 or bottles 2 disposed thereon are moved when rotor 27 rotates, for example the arrangement of brushes or other elements for affixing labels onto bottles 2.

The fundamental modus operandi of container treatment machines 1, 1 a-1 f corresponds to that of conventional machines, i.e. the bottles 2 that are to be treated are fed one after the other via a container inlet to a treatment position 15 while centering tulip 14 is initially raised, and such that each bottle 2 is then disposed standing upright with its bottle base on a bottle plate 7, i.e. with the bottle axis vertically oriented. While the transfer is still in progress, as soon as it is on bottle plate 7 the particular bottle is centered and secured from tipping over by the associated centering tulip 14.1 being lowered down onto the top of the bottle, and is effectively clamped between centering tulip 14.1 and bottle plate 7 to allow treatment of bottles 2 with high performance of the treatment machine 1, 1 a-1 f, i.e. with a high rotational speed of the rotor concerned.

Bottles 2 that are moved by rotor 5/6 or 5/19 or 27 are now treated on the angular range of the rotational motion of the rotor between the container inlet and a container outlet where bottles 2 are removed from the treatment position 15 concerned and released by the raising of centering tulip 14.

The main advantages of container treatment machines 1, 1 a-1 e is [sic] that they at least largely avoid torque arms for functional elements of the container treatment machine which (functional elements) do not rotate with the rotor 5/6 or 5/19 or 27 concerned, and complex and costly constructions associated therewith, and that moreover when lower rotor element 5 is configured as a ring, the region lying on the inside of this rotor element is available for the vibration-free accommodation of functional elements that do not move with rotor 5/6 or 5/19, such as for example printers or print heads, cameras, sensors etc.

Container treatment machines 1 b, 1 d and 1 e also have the advantage that the space enclosed by the upper rotating rotor element 19 is also kept free for the arrangement of functional elements that do not rotate with 5/19.

Container treatment machines 1 d and 1 e have the additional advantage that constructionally complex and costly lifting cams 10 are not needed, that the lifting motion of centering tulips 14.1, including in particular as regards the extent of the lifting motion between the raised and lowered positions of centering tulips 14 during a format change, i.e. when changing over the container treatment machine from one container size to another container size, can be adjusted without difficulty, and that it is above all possible to control and/or regulate the pressing force applied by the lowered centering tulip 14.1 to bottle 2 or other container, and so to optimally match said pressing force to the mechanical strength of the containers that are used, this being especially important when processing or treating containers or bottles 2 made from plastic, e.g. PET containers or PET bottles.

Container treatment machine 1 f is based on known container treatment machines in regard to torque arm 31 which is used on it. However container treatment machine 1 f has the advantage that despite the configuration of the lower rotor element 27.1 as a disc-like turntable or as a spoked-wheel-like element and despite the resulting possibility of a simplified mounting, functional elements can be disposed inside the circular trajectory of bottle plates 7 which (functional elements) do not rotate with rotor 27, and that no constructionally complex torque arms are required for this.

FIG. 8 shows as a further embodiment container treatment machine 1 g whose only essential difference from the other container treatment machines is that a further support element 36 is provided in addition to rotor element 5 and support element 19. This support element 36 is preferentially configured as an annulus and is mounted on the machine frame by means of a bearing.

This further support element 36 is disposed inside rotor element 5 and is driven for example synchronously with it, i.e. with identical angular speed and angular direction.

On support element 36 are disposed for example container treatment devices 37, for example print heads for printing the containers. One container treatment device 37 is preferentially provided on support element 36 for each bottle plate 7 disposed on rotor 5.

Because rotor 5 and support element 36 have identical angular speeds and angular directions, and because also each bottle plate 7 has a dedicated container treatment device 37, container treatment device 37 can act on container 2 over its entire path between inlet and outlet star.

For example, a print head, for example a colour print head, that is provided as a container treatment device 37 now has sufficient time within which to print the allocated container 2 in a plurality of colours as may be required.

Likewise, sensors for detecting physical variables, still image cameras, film cameras or similar can also be provided as container treatment devices 37.

Common to all embodiments moreover is that, both relative to machine axis MA radially outward and in the direction of rotation as well as contrary to the direction of rotation of the particular rotor 5/6, 5/19 or 27, the individual treatment positions 15 are freely accessible in the manner that is necessary for the feeding and removal of containers or bottles 2 to and from treatment positions 15 respectively and for the treatment of the containers or bottles 2.

The invention has been described hereinbefore by reference to embodiments. It goes without saying that further variations as well as modifications are possible without departing from the inventive concept underlying the invention.

The applicant's company has coined the term “Eti mit unabhängigen Kreiseln” (labeller with independent carrousels) for the present innovation.

REFERENCE LIST

-   1,1 a-1 g Container treatment machine -   2 Container or bottle -   3 Machine frame -   4 Pillar -   5 Rotor element -   6 Support element -   5/6 Rotor -   7 Bottle plate -   8 Bearing -   9 Drive -   9.1 Pinion -   10 Lifting cam -   11 Lifting cam support -   11 a Support or bearing element -   12 Bearing -   13 Drive -   13.1 Pinion -   14 Centering element -   14.1 Centering tulip -   14.2 Centering tulip rod -   15 Treatment position -   16 Control roller -   17 Support or brush holder [sic] -   18 Pillar -   19 Support element -   5/19 Rotor -   20 Shaft -   21,22 Gearwheel -   23 Actuating element -   24 Drive -   25 Machine frame -   26 Bearing -   27 Rotor -   27.1, 27.2, 27.3 Rotor element -   28 Drive -   29 Bearing -   30 Lifting cam support -   31 Torque arm -   32 Line -   33 Bearing -   34 Support element -   35 Drive -   36 Support element -   37 Container treatment device -   A Lifting motion of centering tulips 14 -   MA Machine axis 

1. An apparatus for treating containers, said apparatus comprising a container treatment machine having: at least one rotor element that can be driven to rotate about a vertical machine axis and serving as or exhibiting a container support; at least one support element associated with said rotor element, said support element being also rotationally driveable about the vertical machine axis for at least one functional element interacting with the containers; wherein the rotor element and the at least one support element are configured as autonomous rotating elements that are mounted independently of one another so as to be able to rotate about the vertical machine axis.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one rotor element and the at least one support element are mounted independently of one another on a machine frame that does not rotate with either the rotor element or the support element.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one rotor element is comprises a rotor element selected from a group consisting of a disc-like turntable and a spoked-wheel-like turntable.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one rotor element is an annular rotor element having an annular axis that is coaxial with the machine axis.
 5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one support element is configured like one of a disc and a spoked wheel.
 6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one support element a ring-like support element that concentrically encloses the machine axis.
 7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one support element is comprises: a further rotor element for functional elements that are moved with the rotor and/or that interact with the containers, said further rotor element being mounted on a machine frame, with at least one autonomous bearing so as to be able to rotate about the machine axis.
 8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the functional elements are selected from a group consisting of centering elements and centering bells, either of which can be displaced in a controlled manner.
 9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the container treatment machine further comprises: at least one lifting cam on a cam support of a machine frame that does not rotate with the rotor, control elements that engage the at least one cam for the controlled displacement of the functional elements.
 10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the container treatment machine further comprises actuating or adjusting means, on the at least one support element, for the motorized controlled displacement of the functional elements provided on the support element.
 11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the actuating or adjusting means comprises at least one of a hydraulic actuator, a pneumatic actuator, and an electric actuator.
 12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the container treatment machine further comprises driving means for causing synchronised rotational motion, in both speed and angle, of the at least one rotor element and of the at least one support element.
 13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein when the at least one support element is configured as a further rotor element, the driving means is configured to drive the at least one rotor element and the at least one support element in the same direction.
 14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein when the at least one support element is configured as a support for functional elements not rotating with the rotor element, the driving means is configured to drive the at least one rotor element and the at least one support element in opposite directions.
 15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the driving means comprises autonomous drives having corresponding drive motors.
 16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the driving means comprises a drive with a common drive motor to which the at least one rotor element and the at least one support element are connected for driving purposes by at least partly different drive trains.
 17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the at least one rotor element or the at least one support element is connected by a first drive train driven by the motor, and wherein the at least one rotor element and the at least one support element are interconnected for driving purposes by a second drive train.
 18. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the container treatment machine is configured for at least one of labelling containers, printing on containers, and inspecting containers. 